In its 31st year, the festival will be held January 16-19 in Lake Charles. The festivities kick off with a memorial breakfast, which honors outstanding individuals in the community. The festival also features a Gospel Extravaganza and Family Day which includes a Gumbo and Sauce Piquant Cook-Off, arts and crafts vendors, a parade and delicious Creole and Cajun food.

The Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau is a member of STS, an organization that promotes travel to and within the southeastern part of the United States. The bureau nominates all area fairs, festivals and events quarterly. The STS Top 20 Events marketing program highlights the "best of the best" from submitted entries.

Events are selected from each of the following STS member states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to over 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, AAA publications and others. The combined circulation of organizations using the publication is well into the millions. Therefore, the potential media coverage of these events has made the Top 20 Events list a coveted honor.

For more information, contact the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau at (337) 436-9588, or visit www.visitlakecharles.org.